Mark Lawrenson

[Irwin99]

This is the man who confidently said that not a single Italian player would get in the England national side on talent when the two nations met in 2012.

Italy won on penalties with a team including Bonucci , Pirlo, Buffon, Marchiso, De Rossi against an England side which had the likes of Joe Hart, Scott Parker, James Milner, Lescott, and Danny Welbeck all as starters. I mean... the mind boggles

 

[BazzaBear]

In the space of one sentence, if that quote is correct, he:

• Says that he has never been told what he has to avoid saying.
• Says that he hates the way everyone is always told what they have to avoid saying.
• Says that he already know what he can and can't say so doesn't need to be told.

What the hell is he complaining about if it never happens anyway?

 

[2 man midfield]

The white sol Campbell.

No, it isn’t because of your race, it’s more to do with the fact you’re an insufferable tosser.

 

[WeePat]

What an idiot. Was always a terrible pundit, and even worse co-commentator. Sucked the life out of everything. Thirty years of offering nothing but utter boringness and he’s complaining about woke culture. Get the feck out of here you entitled old prick.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Mark Lawrenson claims BBC dropped him because he is ‘65 and a white male’

https://amp.theguardian.com/footbal...dropped-him-because-he-is-65-and-a-white-male

This seems to be the go to excuse for has been pundits and presenters these days. I wonder if this will draw ‘always using the race card’ and ‘diluting real racism’ criticisms?

Erm… he was replaced directly by Chris Sutton.

Proper ‘Ok Boomer’ moment.

 

[Physiocrat]

I always liked his dry co-commentary.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Ruined his legacy with that

 

[Jacko21]

Whenever he was on Football Focus, you sometimes got the sense that Dan Walker was nervous about what Lawrenson might be about to say.

 

[SalfordRed18]

Ruined his legacy with that

What legacy

 

[redshaw]

He's had a very good run and should be thankful he's been kept on for so long. Nothing to do with any culture, you've just hit a certain age and staleness Lawro.

 

[Offside]

I liked him on commentary.

 

[Salt Bailly]

Into the Garth Crooks dustbin of irrelevance you go, you horrendously moustachioed thunderbastard.

 

[RC89]

Mark Lawrenson claims BBC dropped him because he is ‘65 and a white male’

https://amp.theguardian.com/footbal...dropped-him-because-he-is-65-and-a-white-male

This seems to be the go to excuse for has been pundits and presenters these days. I wonder if this will draw ‘always using the race card’ and ‘diluting real racism’ criticisms?

Oh no, the reverse-racism card!

 

[Tyrion]

What legacy

I think when people say "legacy" about football players, they just mean the goodwill among the fans who remember them.

Lawrenson did win a few league titles to be fair.

 

[CloneMC16]

The guy was absolute shite. How he lasted this long is beyond me.

 

[Bastian]

Always liked him as a pundit.

 

[Who's Kissing Cameras?]

I think he’s so dull and boring that it’s hilarious. Like him.

 

[SirReginald]

Mark Lawrenson claims BBC dropped him because he is ‘65 and a white male’

https://amp.theguardian.com/footbal...dropped-him-because-he-is-65-and-a-white-male

This seems to be the go to excuse for has been pundits and presenters these days. I wonder if this will draw ‘always using the race card’ and ‘diluting real racism’ criticisms?

Maybe they just got tired of his 160 game predicted unbeaten run for Liverpool. What a remarkable team they must be.. in his head.

 

[OL29]

Erm… he was replaced directly by Chris Sutton.

Proper ‘Ok Boomer’ moment.

 

[Ayoba]

I hadn't released the beeb dropped him. So who's doing the weekly predictions now?

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

Playing the race card like a few other ex pundits for the reason he got the boot. Nothing to do with the fact he’s a boring old bastard who’s utter shite at his job.

 

[Gio]

I always liked his dry co-commentary.

That was his one redeeming feature which was quite a nice contrast to the increasingly common excitable puppy dog co-commentary elsewhere on the box. Some variety in co-commentator style isn't a bad thing.

Lawrenson's had a good innings though. Few pundits survive more than a 10-15 year period unless they are exceptional in their understanding, communication and open to evolving their thinking over time. And he wasn't in that class bracket. He was very much part of the 1990s generation of punditry which started to look a little tired and out-thought over the last decade as younger and more relevant ex-players took over with a more positive and professional approach.

 

[arthurka]

Sacked because he was white, now I heard it all. Might be because he was absolutely intolerable.

 

[Physiocrat]

That was his one redeeming feature which was quite a nice contrast to the increasingly common excitable puppy dog co-commentary elsewhere on the box. Some variety in co-commentator style isn't a bad thing.

Lawrenson's had a good innings though. Few pundits survive more than a 10-15 year period unless they are exceptional in their understanding, communication and open to evolving their thinking over time. And he wasn't in that class bracket. He was very much part of the 1990s generation of punditry which started to look a little tired and out-thought over the last decade as younger and more relevant ex-players took over with a more positive and professional approach.

That's fair. I distinctly remember one line of his:

Commentator: "What's he got up his sleeve?"
Lawrenson: "His arm"

 

[Real Name]

Even his face says I'm boring, let alone when he opens his mouth.

 

[Leg-End]

His dry sense of humour was actually quite funny but it's a fine balancing act, I think Lawro's tipped over to the side of coming across bored, angry and disillusioned a bit too often in the last few years.

There were times on Five Live commentary where him and Alan Green just sounded like two angry old blokes that hate football but can't stop watching it, as if cursed.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

Danny Murphy is a humourless Lawrensen

 

[dwd]

There were times on Five Live commentary where him and Alan Green just sounded like two angry old blokes that hate football but can't stop watching it, as if cursed.

Can definitely relate to this over the past decade to be fair.

 

[Lay]

He used to be quite funny on commentary

 

[Offside]

This nails him here:

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Can just remember him at the Russia World Cup sounding as miserable as sin, then the contrast to Ally McCoist who was having the time of his life and made games enjoyable.

 

[Son]

What gives these people famous in the 80’s / 90’s the right to be employed in that industry now? He was taking the place of more talented commentators.

He had an amazing run given his limited personality. God knows how he was on Match of the Day all those years.

Alan Hansen I don’t mind but the Denis Pennis sketch with him is possibly one of the funniest interviews I’ve ever seen. Asking if he’s the devil and does he have a Baboons backside

 

[Oranges038]

Mark Lawrenson claims BBC dropped him because he is ‘65 and a white male’

https://amp.theguardian.com/footbal...dropped-him-because-he-is-65-and-a-white-male

This seems to be the go to excuse for has been pundits and presenters these days. I wonder if this will draw ‘always using the race card’ and ‘diluting real racism’ criticisms?

He has a point. I watched some of the womens football yesterday. Barely an aging white man in sight on the panels.

I had to turn it off because of the injustice and offence it caused. An absolute disgrace, something needs to be done about it.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

What gives these people famous in the 80’s / 90’s the right to be employed in that industry now? He was taking the place of more talented commentators.

He had an amazing run given his limited personality. God knows how he was on Match of the Day all those years.

Alan Hansen I don’t mind but the Denis Pennis sketch with him is possibly one of the funniest interviews I’ve ever seen. Asking if he’s the devil and does he have a Baboons backside

Exactly. MOTD/BBC has moved on and replaced has beens with more talented commentators… like Jermaine Jenas.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

I hadn't released the beeb dropped him. So who's doing the weekly predictions now?

Chris Sutton.

Thus making Lawro’s bizarre claim all the more bizarre.

 

[poleglass red]

Chris Sutton.

Thus making Lawro’s bizarre claim all the more bizarre.

one his gripes was his age, Sutton is younger, so not bizzare at all in his eyes. He's a man who had a good run, he seems pissed off at how quickly and ruthlessly he perceived the way they dealt with his release. He is seeing more and more younger pundits getting roles and I imagine he's not happy seeing more women getting this gigs as well. Typical grumpy old man syndrome.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

one his gripes was his age, Sutton is younger, so not bizzare at all in his eyes. He's a man who had a good run, he seems pissed off at how quickly and ruthlessly he perceived the way they dealt with his release. He is seeing more and more younger pundits getting roles and I imagine he's not happy seeing more women getting this gigs as well. Typical grumpy old man syndrome.

Hmm not really, Lawro specifically stated that he was let go because he’s a ‘65 year old, white male’.

He has been directly replaced on the BBC with Chris Sutton - a 50 year old white male…

So, yeah, it’s a bizarre claim.

If he’d just said it was because he’s 65 and accused the BBC of ageism (a wiser ploy, I would posit) then fair enough, but he didn’t.

He for some reason brought skin colour and gender into it, despite the fact that his direct replacement is the same colour and gender as him.

 

[crossy1686]

You look at the line up's Sky and BT have, then compare them to the BBC and you can see why they sacked him. If anything his parting comments show exactly why he should be booted out anyway, strange that he brought up skin colour completely unprompted.

 

[poleglass red]

Hmm not really, Lawro specifically stated that he was let go because he’s a ‘65 year old, white male’.

He has been directly replaced on the BBC with Chris Sutton - a 50 year old white male…

So, yeah, it’s a bizarre claim.

If he’d just said it was because he’s 65 and accused the BBC of ageism (a wiser ploy, I would posit) then fair enough, but he didn’t.

He for some reason brought skin colour and gender into it, despite the fact that his direct replacement is the same colour and gender as him.

I think a lot of people are commenting on the headline without reading the whole article. Nowhere does he mention Chris Sutton, but he does mention Alex Scott for getting the Dan Walker role. He does say nice things about her but he does hint that she wasn't ready for the role. We are seeing more and more women in punditry, for an old dog like Lawro I'd say that's his issue in general. She hits all 3 of his complaints by the way. He seems to have an issue with the more modern way of thinking. He had his time, he's bringing up issues from 25 years ago re the Princess Diana death in his outburst.Grumpy old man going out with a bang.

 

[OL29]

I think a lot of people are commenting on the headline without reading the whole article. Nowhere does he mention Chris Sutton, but he does mention Alex Scott for getting the Dan Walker role. He does say nice things about her but he does hint that she wasn't ready for the role. We are seeing more and more women in punditry, for an old dog like Lawro I'd say that's his issue in general. She hits all 3 of his complaints by the way. He seems to have an issue with the more modern way of thinking. He had his time, he's bringing up issues from 25 years ago re the Princess Diana death in his outburst.Grumpy old man going out with a bang.

It’s neither here nor there whether he mentioned Chris Sutton, the point is that it doesn’t make sense to complain that you lost your job because you’re “65 and a white male” (his words), when the person you were replaced with is from that same demographic.